REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS.

136. Verbs are divided into two main classes, Regular and Irregular.

137. REGULAR Verbs are those which have the PAST Tense formed by the addition of d or ed; as, love, loved; fill, filled.

EXPL.-In loved, d is added to form the Past Tense; in filled, ed is added.

138. IRREGULAR Verbs are those which have the PAST Tense formed by a change or modification of the vowel; as, sing, sang; bīte, bit.

EXPL.-In sang the vowel is CHANGED; the Present having i, the Past a; in bite the vowel is MODIFIED, the Present having the i long, the Past having the i short.

139. These two classes of Verbs are also called respectively, Weak Verbs and Strong Verbs.

140. Those Verbs which require an addition to them (d or ed) to make the Past Tense, are WEAK VERBS; and those which require no addition, but make the Past Tense by a change within themselves, are STRONG VERBS.

141. OBS. 1.-They are also called Verbs of the modern formation, and Verbs of the old formation; since the Strong Verbs are generally the older, and the Weak Verbs the more modern, words.

142. OBS. 2.-The Weak Verbs regularly have d or ed added to form the Past Indefinite Tense. (144.) Hence these are called Regular Verbs.

143. OBS. 3.-The Strong Verbs, having different vowels changed and modified in different ways, present a great variety. Hence they are called Irregular Verbs: not that they have no rule; but that they have many rules, and not one rule.

144. OBS. 4.-Verbs ending in a k, p, f, or s sound, in gh (sounded f), ce (sounded s), sh or ch, have the ed in the Past Tense pronounced like t. Thus, revoke, revoked; steep, steeped; smack, smacked; shape, shaped; laugh, laughed; pass, passed; pronounce, pronounced; brush, brushed; bleach, bleached.

Some Verbs of this kind frequently have the Past Tense written, as well as pronounced, with a t. Thus (in ), dwell and spill usually have dwelt and spilt, in preference to dwelled and spilled (the full forms are antiquated or grave): (in n) learn usually has learnt, in preference to learned: (in p) leap has leapt. In poetry the t is more frequently written for the ed than in prose: it makes the rhyme more obvious to the eye.

Three Verbs ending in ay have ai in the Past, and d added. Lay, laid; pay, paid; say, said. Say has the vowel sound modified also. (See Sect. 155 in the list.) Other Verbs in ay have ed added, as pray, prayed.

Strong:

EXERCISE XXXIV.

Underline the Weak Verbs; doubly underline the

The man fell. Who spoke? I called him. She sang well. All stood up. The mob shouted. We came soon after. They fetched the knives. Who gave him the bat? The sun shone. He walked fast, but ran much faster. They always rose early. We received the letter this morning. Our friend wrote it last night. Who won the prize? You sat down directly. The boy grew fast. They returned the pencil. Who found it? They fulfilled their promise. The ship sank. Who tied the knot? He rode every day on horseback. Some one rang the bell and knocked at the door. The boys began their lesson. We met this morning in the park. They endeavoured to get in, but did not succeed. The thief hid the watch.

The quality of mercy is not strained:

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

The earth shook and trembled. I knew him when a boy, but I have not seen him for many years. The desire of improvement discovers a liberal mind, and is connected with many accomplishments and many virtues.

145. The Strong or Irregular Verbs are divided into five conjugations, according as the vowel in the PRESENT Tense is, a, e, i, o, or u.

146. OBS.-Verbs which have diphthongs (as break, lead, shoot, &c.) are generally classed under one of these conjugations, according to the vowel-sound which predominates. So, break is classed under the A, lead under the E, and shoot under the O, conjugation.

147. These five conjugations are subdivided according to the vowel which is found in the PAST Tense.

148. FIRST (or A) CONJUGATION.